Surgical buttress for circular stapling

ABSTRACT

A surgical stapling apparatus includes a staple cartridge assembly, an anvil assembly operatively associated with the staple cartridge assembly, and a surgical buttress. The staple cartridge assembly includes a tissue facing surface having staple retaining slots defined therein, each staple retaining slot housing a staple therein, and an annular knife disposed radially inwardly of the tissue facing surface. The anvil assembly includes an anvil member including a tissue facing surface having staple forming recesses defined therein, and an anvil shaft extending from the anvil member. The surgical buttress is releasably disposed on the tissue facing surface of the staple cartridge assembly or the anvil assembly. The surgical buttress has an annular configuration defining a central aperture therethrough, and includes body segments extending radially outwardly about the central aperture in spaced radial relation relative to each other, and a ring segment interconnecting the body segments.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/596,146 filed Dec. 8, 2017, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to surgical buttresses that are releasably attached to surgical stapling apparatus and more particularly, to surgical buttresses for flexibly reinforcing circular staples lines.

Description of Related Art

Surgical stapling apparatus are employed by surgeons to sequentially or simultaneously apply one or more rows of fasteners, e.g., staples or two-part fasteners, to body tissue for the purpose of joining segments of body tissue together and/or creating anastomoses.

Annular surgical stapling apparatus generally include a staple cartridge assembly including annular rows of staples, an anvil assembly operatively associated with the staple cartridge assembly, and an annular blade disposed internal to the annular rows of staples. In use, during an end-to-end circular anastomosis procedure, two ends of hollow tissue sections, e.g., bowels, intestines, or other tubular organs) are clamped between the anvil and staple cartridge assemblies and are joined by driving the annular rows of staples through the clamped hollow tissue sections. During firing of the staples, the annular blade is advanced to cut portions of the tissue sections extending inside the staple lines, thereby establishing a passage through the two stapled tissue sections.

Surgical supports, e.g., meshes or buttress materials, may be used in combination with surgical stapling apparatus to bridge, repair, and/or reinforce tissue defects within a patient. The surgical support reinforces the staple line as well as covers the juncture of the tissues to reduce incidents of, for example, tearing, leakage, bleeding, and/or strictures prior to healing. The staple lines, however, may become rigid with the addition of the surgical support which may affect removal of the anvil assembly through the stapled tissue and/or affect the staple lines themselves. Accordingly, a need exists for improved surgical supports and/or buttresses.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure is directed to surgical buttresses including discrete body segments for reinforcing staple lines while maintaining flexibility of the tissue to which the surgical buttress is attached.

A surgical stapling apparatus, including a releasable surgical buttress, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, includes a staple cartridge assembly, an anvil assembly operatively associated with the staple cartridge assembly, and a surgical buttress. The staple cartridge assembly includes a tissue facing surface having staple retaining slots defined therein, each staple retaining slot housing a staple therein, and an annular knife disposed radially inwardly of the tissue facing surface. The anvil assembly includes an anvil member including a tissue facing surface having staple forming recesses defined therein, and an anvil shaft extending from the anvil member. The surgical buttress is disposed on the tissue facing surface of the staple cartridge assembly or the anvil assembly. The surgical buttress has an annular configuration defining a central aperture therethrough, and includes body segments extending radially outwardly about the central aperture in spaced radial relation relative to each other, and a ring segment interconnecting the body segments.

An adhesive may be disposed between the surgical buttress and the tissue facing surface of the staple cartridge assembly or the anvil assembly to releasably retain the surgical buttress thereon. The surgical buttress may include eight to fourteen body segments. The central aperture of the surgical buttress may have a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the anvil shaft of the anvil assembly. The surgical buttress may include perforations disposed between the body segments and the ring segment.

In embodiments, a portion of the body segments of the surgical buttress are formed from a first material and a portion of the body segments of the surgical buttress are formed from a second material. The body segments formed from the first material and the body segments formed from the second material may be alternately positioned around the central aperture. In some embodiments, the body segments and the ring segment of the surgical buttress are formed from different materials.

The ring segment of the surgical buttress may extend radially inwardly from radial inner edges of the body segments. The ring segment of the surgical buttress may be positioned radially inwardly of the annular knife of the staple cartridge assembly. In embodiments, a radial outer edge of the ring segment is radially aligned with the annular knife of the staple cartridge assembly such that actuation of the knife severs the ring segment from the body segments. In some embodiments, radial outer edges of the body segments define a radial outer terminal edge of the surgical buttress. In certain embodiments, the surgical buttress includes a second ring segment positioned radially outwardly of the annular knife of the staple cartridge assembly.

The ring segment of the surgical buttress may extend radially outwardly from radial outer edges of the body segments. The ring segment of the surgical buttress may be positioned radially outwardly of the annular knife of the staple cartridge assembly. In embodiments, a radial outer edge of the ring segment of the surgical buttress defines a radial outer terminal edge of the surgical buttress. In some embodiments, radial inner edges of the body segments of the surgical buttress define a radial inner terminal edge of the surgical buttress. The radial inner edges of the body segments may be aligned with a radial inner perimeter of the tissue facing surface of the anvil assembly or the staple cartridge assembly. In certain embodiments, a radial outer edge of the ring segment is aligned with a radial outer perimeter of the tissue facing surface of the anvil assembly or the staple cartridge assembly. The ring segment of the surgical buttress may be disposed over at least one annular row of the staple forming recesses or the staple forming slots of the anvil assembly or the staple cartridge assembly to which the surgical buttress is releasably secured.

A staple cartridge assembly including a releasable surgical buttress, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, includes a staple cartridge including a tissue facing surface having staple retaining slots defined therein, each staple retaining slot housing a staple therein, and an annular knife disposed radially inwardly of the tissue facing surface. The surgical buttress is disposed on the tissue facing surface of the staple cartridge assembly. The surgical buttress has an annular configuration defining a central aperture therethrough, and includes body segments extending radially outwardly about the central aperture in spaced radial relation relative to each other, and a ring segment interconnecting the body segments.

Other aspects, features, and advantages will be apparent from the description, drawings, and the claim.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various aspects of the present disclosure are described herein below with reference to the drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, wherein:

FIG. 1A is a side, perspective view of a surgical stapling apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 1B is a bottom, perspective view of an anvil assembly of the surgical stapling apparatus of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the surgical stapling apparatus shown in FIG. 1A, including surgical buttresses releasably attached thereto in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3A is a top, plan view of a surgical buttress of FIG. 2, in an initial configuration prior to actuation of the surgical stapling apparatus;

FIG. 3B is a top, plan view of the surgical buttress of FIG. 3A, in a final configuration after actuation of the surgical stapling apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a top, plan view of a surgical buttress in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a top, plan view of a surgical buttress in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 6 is a top, plan view of a surgical buttress in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are discussed herein below in terms of surgical buttresses for use with a surgical stapling apparatus. The surgical buttresses described herein may be used in sealing a wound by approximating the edges of tissue between a staple cartridge assembly and an anvil assembly of the surgical stapling apparatus which includes at least one surgical buttress. The surgical buttress is releasably attached to the surgical stapling apparatus such that staples fired from the surgical stapling apparatus attach the surgical buttress to tissue.

Embodiments of the presently disclosed surgical buttresses will now be described in detail with reference to the drawing figures wherein like reference numerals identify similar or identical elements. Throughout this description, the term “proximal” refers to a portion of a structure, or component thereof, that is closer to a user, and the term “distal” refers to a portion of the structure, or component thereof, that is farther from the user. Directional reference terms, such as “top,” “bottom,” “side,” and the like, are intended to ease description of the embodiments and are not intended to have any limiting effect on the ultimate orientations of a structure or any parts thereof.

Referring now to FIG. 1A, a surgical stapling apparatus or circular stapler 10 for use in stapling tissue and applying a surgical buttress to tissue is shown. The surgical stapling apparatus 10 includes a handle assembly 20, an elongated tubular body 30 extending distally from the handle assembly 20, an anvil assembly 40 releasably coupled to a distal end portion 32 of the elongated tubular body 20, and a staple cartridge assembly 50 disposed at the distal end portion 32 of the elongated tubular body 30.

The handle assembly 20 includes at least one movable handle member 22 for actuating the firing of staples 54 (FIG. 2) from the staple cartridge assembly 50 and the cutting of tissue secured between the anvil and staple cartridge assemblies 40, 50. The handle assembly 20 further includes an advancing member 24 for moving the anvil assembly 40 between an open or spaced apart position and a closed or approximated position relative to the staple cartridge assembly 50.

The elongated tubular body 30 may be flexible or rigid, and/or straight or curved along a portion or the entirety thereof. It should be understood that the elongated tubular body 30 may be otherwise configured (e.g., shaped and/or dimensioned) depending on, for example, the surgical application or procedure of use as is within the purview of those skilled in the art. The staple cartridge assembly 50 may be fixedly connected to the distal end portion 32 of the elongated tubular body 30 or may be configured to concentrically fit within, or be otherwise connected to, the distal end portion 32 of the elongated tubular body 30 such that the staple cartridge assembly 50 is removable and replaceable.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the anvil assembly 40 includes an anvil member 42 having a tissue facing surface 44 defined by an outer perimeter 44 a and an inner perimeter 44 b. Staple forming recesses 43 (e.g., a circular array or annular rows of staple forming recesses) are defined in the tissue facing surface 44 of the anvil member 42. The staple forming recesses 43 mirror staple retaining slots 51 of the staple cartridge assembly 50 (e.g., corresponding in position, size, and/or shape). The anvil assembly 40 further includes an anvil shaft 46 extending distally from the anvil member 52. The anvil shaft 46 is releasably connectable to the elongated tubular body 30 of the surgical stapling apparatus 10.

The anvil shaft 46 of the anvil assembly 40 may be connected to a rod 34 extending through the elongated tubular body 30. The rod 34 can be operably coupled to the advancing member 24 of the handle assembly 20 such that, when the anvil shaft 46 is attached to the rod 34, rotation of the advancing member 24 results in longitudinal movement of the rod 34 which, in turn, results in longitudinal movement of the anvil assembly 40 relative to the elongated tubular body 30. For example, when the advancing member 24 is rotated in a first direction, the anvil assembly 40 is moved away from the elongated tubular body 30, allowing tissue to be placed between the anvil and staple cartridge assemblies 40, 50 and, when the advancing member 24 is rotated in a second direction, the anvil assembly 40 is moved toward the elongated tubular body 30, allowing the tissue to be clamped between the anvil and staple cartridge assemblies 40, 50. It should be understood that other mechanisms for moving the anvil assembly 40 with respect to the elongated tubular body 30 are contemplated and within the purview of those skilled in the art.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 2, the staple cartridge assembly 50 includes a tissue facing surface 52 defined by an outer perimeter 52 a and an inner perimeter 52 b. Staple retaining or receiving slots 51 (e.g., a circular array or annular rows of staple retaining slots) are defined in the tissue facing surface 52 of the staple cartridge assembly 50, with a staple 54 disposed in each of the staple retaining slots 51. While the staple cartridge assembly 50 is shown including three circular rows of staple retaining slots 51, it should be understood that the staple cartridge assembly 50 may include one or more rows, or partial rows, of staple retaining slots 51 in a variety of arrangements in the tissue facing surface 52 of the staple cartridge assembly 50 (e.g., the rows and/or partial rows may be circular, oval, polygonal, etc.). It should further be understood that the shape of the staple retaining slots 51 may vary (e.g., the staple retaining slots may have a curved or angled shape) to accommodate the positioning of the staples 54 relative to each other, and/or the size of the staple retaining slots 51 may vary (e.g., one or more rows of staple retaining slots may be different in size from other row(s) of staple retaining slots) to accommodate different shaped and/or sized staples 54.

A staple pusher 56 is disposed in the staple cartridge assembly 50 and has a plurality of fingers or pushers 57 that are aligned with the staple retaining slots 51. The staple pusher 56 is movable in a distal direction to drive the staples 54 out of the staple cartridge assembly 50. A knife 58, substantially in the form of an open cup having a cylindrical shape with a rim thereof defining a knife blade 59, is disposed radially inwardly of the pushers 57. The knife 58 is mounted to a surface of the staple pusher 56 so that, in use, as the staple pusher 56 is advanced distally, the knife 58 is also advanced distally (e.g., axially outward) such that after the staples 54 are driven through tissue captured between the anvil and staple cartridge assemblies 40, 50, the portions of the tissue disposed radially inwardly of the staples 54 are cut by the knife blade 59.

The movable handle members 22 of the handle assembly 20 can be operably coupled to the staple pusher 56 by, for example, a tubular member or pair of bands (not shown) that are attached to the staple pusher 56 by, for example, linkages or the like. In this way, when the movable handle members 22 are actuated, the tubular member or bands are advanced, advancing the staple pusher 56, as described above. It should be understood that other mechanisms for firing the surgical stapling apparatus 10 are contemplated and within the purview of those skilled in the art.

For a detailed description of the structure and function of exemplary surgical stapling apparatus, reference may be made to U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,473,077; 4,576,167; 5,005,749; 5,119,983; 5,588,579; 5,915,616; and 6,053,390, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference. It should be understood that a variety of annular surgical stapling apparatus may be utilized with the surgical buttresses of the present disclosure. For example, circular staplers, such as, for example, EEA™ and CEEA™ staplers, available through Medtronic (North Haven, Conn.) may be utilized with the surgical buttresses of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 2, surgical buttresses 60 are releasably attached to the tissue facing surfaces 44, 52 of the anvil and staple cartridge assemblies 40, 50, respectively. The surgical buttresses 60 may be releasably secured to the tissue facing surfaces 44, 52 of the anvil and/or staple cartridge assemblies 40, 50 via any suitable attachment feature within the purview of those skilled in the art, such as, chemical attachment features (e.g., adhesives), mechanical attachment features (e.g., mounting structures, such as tabs, pins, or straps), and/or attachment methods (e.g., welding). For a detailed description of exemplary attachment features suitable for use with a surgical buttress of the present disclosure, reference may be made to U.S. Pat. Nos.: 8,584,920; 8,967,448; and 9,237,892, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference. In embodiments, an adhesive (not explicitly shown) is disposed between the surgical buttresses 60 and the respective tissue facing surface 44, 52 of the anvil and staple cartridge assemblies 40, 50.

The surgical stapling apparatus 10 and detachable anvil assembly 40 are used in an anastomosis procedure to effect joining of tissue sections 1, 2 (e.g., intestinal or other tubular organ sections). The anastomosis procedure is typically performed using minimally invasive surgical techniques including laparoscopic means and instrumentation. At the point in the procedure shown in FIG. 2, the anvil assembly 40 has been applied to the operative site (e.g., through a surgical incision or a body orifice) and positioned within tissue section 1, the elongated tubular body 30 of the surgical stapling apparatus 10 has been inserted (e.g., through a surgical incision or a body orifice) within tissue section 2, and the anvil shaft 46 of the anvil assembly 40 has been connected to the elongated tubular body 30. The tissue sections 1, 2 are also shown temporarily secured about their respective components by conventional means such as a purse string sutures “P”.

Thereafter, the anvil assembly 40 is approximated towards the elongated tubular body 30 (e.g., via advancing member 24 (FIG. 1) of the handle assembly 20) to approximate the tissue sections 1, 2. The surgical stapling apparatus 10 is then actuated (e.g., via movable handle members 22 (FIG. 1) of the handle assembly 20), firing the staples 54 from the staple cartridge assembly 50 and towards the anvil member 42 of the anvil assembly 40 to effect stapling of the tissue sections 1, 2 to one another, as well as the surgical buttresses 60 to the tissue sections 1, 2. The knife blade 59 cuts the now stapled tissue sections 1, 2, as well as any portion of the surgical buttresses 60 extending radially inwardly of the knife 58, to complete the anastomosis. Upon movement of the anvil assembly 40 away from staple cartridge assembly 50 (e.g., via advancing member 24), the surgical buttresses 60, which are now stapled to the tissue sections 1, 2, are pulled away from the anvil and staple cartridge assemblies 40, 50.

The surgical buttresses of the present disclosure are fabricated from biocompatible materials which are bioabsorbable or non-absorbable, natural or synthetic materials. It should be understood that any combination of natural, synthetic, bioabsorbable, and/or non-bioabsorbable materials may be used to form a surgical buttress. The surgical buttresses may be porous, non-porous, or combinations thereof. Suitable porous structures include, for example, fibrous structures (e.g., knitted structures, woven structures, and non-woven structures) and/or foams (e.g., open or closed cell foams). Suitable non-porous structures include, for example, films. The surgical buttresses may be a single porous or non-porous layer, or include a plurality of layers including any combination of porous and/or non-porous layers.

Porous layer(s) in a surgical buttress may enhance the ability of the surgical buttress to absorb fluid, reduce bleeding, and seal a wound. Also, the porous layer(s) may allow for tissue ingrowth to fix the surgical buttress in place. Non-porous layer(s) in a surgical buttress may enhance the ability of the surgical buttress to resist tears and perforations during the manufacturing, shipping, handling, and stapling processes. Also, non-porous layer(s) may retard or prevent tissue ingrowth from surrounding tissues thereby acting as an adhesion barrier and preventing the formation of unwanted scar tissue.

With reference now to FIG. 3A, the surgical buttress 60 has a generally circular or annular configuration defining a central aperture 61 therethrough. The central aperture 61 is sized and dimensioned to allow free passage of the anvil shaft 46 of the anvil assembly 40 therethrough. In embodiments, the central aperture 61 has a diameter that is larger than the diameter of the anvil shaft 46 of the anvil assembly 40. In some embodiments, the diameter of the central aperture 61 may be about the same as the diameter of the anvil shaft 46. The surgical buttress 60 includes discrete body segments 62 (e.g., petals) defining a discontinuous region of the surgical buttress 60, and a ring segment 64 (shown as an inner ring segment) defining a continuous region of the surgical buttress 60 that interconnects the body segments 62.

The body segments 62 are disposed in spaced relation relative to each other and extend radially outwardly from the ring segment 64. Each body segment 62 has a generally trapezoidal shape, and includes an outer edge 62 a and an inner edge 62 b. It should be understood that other shapes of the body segments 62 and/or the spacing therebetween are envisioned depending upon, for example, the structure of the surgical stapling apparatus 10 (e.g., the configuration of the staple retaining slots 51 of the staple cartridge assembly 50). In embodiments, the surgical buttress 60 includes eight to fourteen body segments 62 and, in some embodiments, the surgical buttress 60 includes twelve body segments 62. The body segments 62 may all be formed from the same material or may be formed from different materials. In embodiments, body segments 62 formed from a first material and body segments 62 formed from a second material may be alternately positioned around the central aperture 61 to impart different physical characteristics to the portions of the tissue to which they are stapled. The body segments 62 provide flexibility to the stapled tissue, minimizing damage thereto during manipulation of the tissue during the surgical procedure (e.g., removal of the anvil assembly 40 through the stapled tissue), as well as allowing for natural movement of the tissue to occur after completion of the surgical procedure.

The ring segment 64 is connected to the inner edges 62 b of the body segments 62, and defines the central aperture 61 in an initial configuration of the surgical buttress 60. The ring segment 64 may be formed from the same material as the body segments 62, or a different material. In embodiments, the ring segment 64 is integrally formed with the body segments 62 by, for example, stamping, punching, and/or cutting the surgical buttress 60 from a buttress material. In other embodiments, the ring segment 64 is separate from the body segments 62 and attached thereto by, for example, welding, gluing, sewing, and/or heat sealing the ring segment 64 to the inner edges 62 b of the body segments 62.

The body segments 62 and the ring segment 64 have a consistent construction and are configured as planar substrates or layers of buttress material. It is envisioned that the ring segment 64 may have a different construction from the body segments 62 and may be, for example, a looped filament (e.g., a stiffened suture) or a band, among other continuous annular structures for interconnecting the body segments 62 and/or reinforcing the surgical buttress 60 as should be understood by those skilled in the art.

With continued reference to FIG. 3A, in conjunction with FIGS. 1A and 1B, the surgical buttress 60 is sized and dimensioned such that the body segments 62 extend over the tissue facing surface 44, 52 of the anvil or staple cartridge assembly 40, 50, and the ring segment 64 is disposed radially inwardly of the knife 58 of the staple cartridge assembly 50. The body segments 62 may completely cover the tissue facing surface 44, 52 of the anvil or staple cartridge assembly 40, 50 to which the surgical buttress 60 is releasably secured. In embodiments, the outer edges 62 a of the body segments 62 are aligned (e.g., radially) with the outer perimeter 44 a, 52 a of the anvil or staple cartridge assembly 40, 50, and the inner edges 62 b of the body segments 62 are aligned (e.g., radially) with the inner perimeter 44 b, 52 b of the anvil or staple cartridge assembly 40, 50.

In some embodiments, the outer edges 62 a of the body segments 62 of the surgical buttress 60 extend radially beyond the outer perimeter 44 a, 52 a of the anvil or staple cartridge assembly 40, 50, and/or the inner edges 62 a of the body segments 62 extend radially inwardly of the inner perimeter 44 b, 52 b of the anvil or staple cartridge assembly 40, 50.

The entirety of the ring segment 64 is disposed radially inwardly of the knife 58 of the staple cartridge assembly 50 such that upon actuation of the surgical stapling device 10, the ring segment 64 is cut away from the surgical buttress 60, as shown in FIG. 3B. As shown in FIG. 3B, in a final configuration of the surgical buttress 60, the central aperture 61′ is enlarged and the body segments 62 are connected to each other via staples 54 which form annular rows or staple lines “S1”, “S2”, and “S3”.

In embodiments, an outer perimeter 64 a of the ring segment 64 is radially aligned (and concentric) with the knife 58 of the staple cartridge assembly 50 such that upon actuation of the surgical stapling apparatus 10, only the ring segment 64 is cut away from the surgical buttress 60. In some embodiments, perforations 65 are disposed between the inner edges 62 b of the body segments 62 and the outer edge 64 a of the ring segment 64, and in alignment with the knife 58, to aid in the separation of the ring segment 64 from the body segments 62 during actuation of the surgical stapling apparatus 10 and/or to reduce the firing force required to cut through the stapled tissue and the surgical buttresses 60. In other embodiments, the outer perimeter 64 a of the ring segment 64 is disposed radially inwardly of the knife 58 of the staple cartridge assembly 50 such that actuation of the surgical stapling apparatus 10 results in the removal of the ring segment 64 as well as portions of the body segments 62 also disposed radially inwardly of the knife 58.

With reference now to FIG. 4, a surgical buttress 70 in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The surgical buttress 70 includes body segments 72 (e.g., petals) interconnected by a ring segment 74 (shown as an outer ring segment). The body segments 72 are substantially similar to the body segments 62 of surgical buttress 60. Each body segment 72 includes an outer edge 72 a and an inner edge 72 b, wherein the inner edges 72 b of the body segments 72 define a central aperture 71 of the surgical buttress 70.

The ring segment 74 is connected to, and extends radially outwardly from, the outer edges 72 a of the body segments 72. Similar to the ring segment 64 of the surgical buttress 60, the ring segment 72 of the surgical buttress 70 may be integrally formed with or attached to the body segments 72, may be formed from the same or different materials than the body segments 72, and/or may have the same or a different construction than the body segments 72.

The surgical buttress 70 is sized and dimensioned such that the body segments 72 extend over the staple forming recesses 43 or the staple retaining slots 51 of the anvil or staple cartridge assembly 40, 50 to which the surgical buttress 70 is releasably secured. In embodiments, the entirety of the surgical buttress 70 is disposed on the tissue facing surface 44, 52 of the anvil or staple cartridge assembly 40, 50 with an outer edge 74 a of the ring segment 74 radially aligned or coincident with the outer perimeter 44 a, 52 a of the anvil or staple cartridge assembly 40, 50, and the inner edges 72 b of the body segments 72 radially aligned with the inner perimeter 44 b, 52 b of the anvil or staple cartridge assembly 40, 50 such that the inner edges 72 b are disposed radially inwardly of the innermost annular row “S3” of staples 54 and radially outwardly of the knife 58. Upon actuation of the surgical stapling apparatus 10, the surgical buttress 70 remains intact such that, for example, the size of the central aperture 71 does not change between initial and final configurations of the surgical buttress 70, and the body segments 72 are further connected via the annular rows “S1”, “S2”, and “S3” of staples 54.

As shown in FIG. 4, the ring segment 74 of the surgical buttress 70 is aligned with and configured to receive the outermost annular row “S1” of staples 54, however, other sizes and positions of the ring segment 74 relative to the staples 54 are envisioned. For example, the ring segment 74 of the surgical buttress 70 may be positioned radially outwardly of the staple forming recesses 43 or staple forming slots 51 of the anvil or staple cartridge assembly 40, 50, or the ring segment 74 may be sized and positioned to receive the outermost and middle annular rows “S1”, “S2” of staples 54.

In some embodiments, the outer edge 74 a of the ring segment 74 of the surgical buttress 70 may extend beyond the outer perimeter 44 a, 52 a of the anvil or staple cartridge assembly 40, 50, and/or the inner edges 72 a of the body segments 72 may extend radially inwardly of the inner perimeter 44 b, 52 b of the anvil or staple cartridge assembly 40, 50. In certain embodiments, the ring segment 74 is disposed radially outwardly of the anvil or staple cartridge assembly 40, 50 and/or the inner edges 72 a of the body segments 72 extend radially inwardly of the knife 58 of the staple cartridge assembly 50.

As shown in FIG. 5, a surgical buttress 80 of the present disclosure may include body segments 82 and more than one ring segment 84, 86 interconnecting the body segments 82. The first ring segment 84 is disposed radially inwardly of the knife 58 of the staple cartridge assembly 50 as described, for example, with respect to the ring segment 64 of the surgical buttress 60, and the second ring segment 86 is disposed radially outwardly of the knife 58. The second ring segment 86 may extend radially beyond outer edges 82 a of the body segments 82 as described, for example, with respect to the ring segment 74 of the surgical buttress 70.

A ring segment of a surgical buttress of the present disclosure, when disposed radially outwardly of the knife of the staple cartridge assembly, may aid in preventing strictures and/or stenosis of the stapled tissue. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the ring segment 74 of the surgical buttress 70, and/or, as shown in FIG. 5, the second ring segment 86 of the surgical buttress 80, may aid in keeping open and/or reinforcing stapled tissue sections. While the ring segment 74 and the second ring segment 86 of FIGS. 4 and 5, respectively, are disposed about an outer portion of the respective surgical buttresses 70, 80, it should be understood that a ring segment may be disposed about any portion of a surgical buttress disposed radially outwardly of, and in spaced relation to, the knife 58 of the staple cartridge assembly 50.

As shown in FIG. 6, a surgical buttress 90 includes body segments 92 defining a central aperture 91 therethrough, and a ring segment 94 (shown as a central ring segment) interconnecting the body segments 92. The continuous ring segment 94 bifurcates or otherwise divides each body segment 92, and defines outer and inner sections 96 a, 96 b of body segments 92. In the illustrated embodiment, the ring segment 94 bifurcates the body segments 92 about a central portion thereof (e.g., midway between outer and inner edges 92 a, 92 b of the body segments 92), however, it is envisioned that the ring segment 94 may be otherwise positioned between the outer and inner edges 92 a, 92 b of the body segments 92.

As shown in FIG. 6, the ring segment 94 of the surgical buttress 90 is aligned with and configured to receive the middle annular row “S2” of staples 54, however, as discussed above, other sizes and positions of the ring segment 94 are envisioned. Further, the inclusion of additional ring segments are also envisioned (e.g., more than one ring segment disposed radially outwardly of the knife 58 of the staple cartridge assembly 50).

It should be understood that while the surgical stapling apparatus 10 is shown including surgical buttresses 60 disposed on both the anvil and the staple cartridge assemblies 40, 50, the surgical stapling apparatus 10 may include only one surgical buttress 60 disposed on either the anvil assembly 40 or the staple cartridge assembly 50. It should be further understood that any of the surgical buttresses 60, 70, 80, 90 may be disposed on the anvil and/or staple cartridge assemblies 40, 50 depending on, for example, the surgical application and/or desired placement of the buttress material relative to tissue as should be understood by those skilled in the art. It is envisioned that the surgical buttress 60, 70, 80, 90 may be, additionally or alternatively, positioned on the anvil shaft 46 of the anvil assembly 40 following the connection of the anvil assembly 40 to the tissue section 1 such that the surgical buttress 60, 70, 80, 90 is stapled between the tissue sections 1, 2 following actuation of the surgical stapling apparatus 10.

The surgical buttress(es) 60, 70, 80, 90 may be pre-loaded (e.g., by the manufacturer) onto the anvil assembly 40 and/or the staple cartridge assembly 50. Additional or replacement surgical buttresses 60, 70, 80, 90 may be secured to the respective anvil and/or staple cartridge assemblies 40, 50, as needed or desired.

The surgical buttresses described herein may also be configured for use with other surgical apparatus, such as electromechanical surgical devices as described, for example, in U.S. Patent Appl. Pub. Nos. 2015/0157320 and 2015/0157321, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Persons skilled in the art will understand that the devices and methods specifically described herein and illustrated in the accompanying figures are non-limiting exemplary embodiments, and that the description, disclosure, and figures should be construed merely exemplary of particular embodiments. It is to be understood, therefore, that the present disclosure is not limited to the precise embodiments described, and that various other changes and modifications may be effected by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure. Additionally, it is envisioned that the elements and features illustrated or described in connection with one exemplary embodiment may be combined with the elements and features of another exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, and that such modifications and variations are also intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the subject matter of the present disclosure is not to be limited by what has been particularly shown and described. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A surgical stapling apparatus including a releasable surgical buttress, the surgical stapling apparatus comprising: a staple cartridge assembly including a tissue facing surface having staple retaining slots defined therein, each staple retaining slot housing a staple therein, and an annular knife disposed radially inwardly of the tissue facing surface; an anvil assembly operatively associated with the staple cartridge assembly, the anvil assembly including an anvil member including a tissue facing surface having staple forming recesses defined therein, and an anvil shaft extending from the anvil member; and a surgical buttress disposed on the tissue facing surface of the staple cartridge assembly or the anvil assembly, the surgical buttress having an annular configuration defining a central aperture therethrough, the surgical buttress including body segments extending radially outwardly about the central aperture in spaced radial relation relative to each other, and a ring segment interconnecting the body segments.
 2. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an adhesive is disposed between the surgical buttress and the tissue facing surface of the staple cartridge assembly or the anvil assembly to releasably retain the surgical buttress thereon.
 3. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surgical buttress includes eight to fourteen body segments.
 4. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the central aperture of the surgical buttress has a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the anvil shaft of the anvil assembly.
 5. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1, a portion of the body segments of the surgical buttress are formed from a first material and a portion of the body segments of the surgical buttress are formed from a second material, the body segments formed from the first material and the body segments formed from the second material alternately positioned around the central aperture.
 6. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the body segments and the ring segment of the surgical buttress are formed from different materials.
 7. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surgical buttress includes perforations disposed between the body segments and the ring segment.
 8. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ring segment of the surgical buttress extends radially inwardly from radial inner edges of the body segments.
 9. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ring segment of the surgical buttress is positioned radially inwardly of the annular knife of the staple cartridge assembly.
 10. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a radial outer edge of the ring segment is radially aligned with the annular knife of the staple cartridge assembly such that actuation of the annular knife severs the ring segment from the body segments.
 11. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 9, wherein radial outer edges of the body segments define a radial outer terminal edge of the surgical buttress.
 12. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the surgical buttress includes a second ring segment positioned radially outwardly of the annular knife of the staple cartridge assembly.
 13. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ring segment of the surgical buttress extends radially outwardly from radial outer edges of the body segments.
 14. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ring segment of the surgical buttress is positioned radially outwardly of the annular knife of the staple cartridge assembly.
 15. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 14, wherein a radial outer edge of the ring segment of the surgical buttress defines a radial outer terminal edge of the surgical buttress.
 16. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 14, wherein radial inner edges of the body segments of the surgical buttress define a radial inner terminal edge of the surgical buttress.
 17. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 14, wherein radial inner edges of the body segments are aligned with a radial inner perimeter of the tissue facing surface of the anvil assembly or the staple cartridge assembly.
 18. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 17, wherein a radial outer edge of the ring segment is aligned with a radial outer perimeter of the tissue facing surface of the anvil assembly or the staple cartridge assembly.
 19. The surgical stapling apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the ring segment of the surgical buttress is disposed over at least one annular row of the staple forming recesses or the staple forming slots of the anvil assembly or the staple cartridge assembly to which the surgical buttress is secured.
 20. A staple cartridge assembly including a releasable surgical buttress, the staple cartridge assembly comprising: a staple cartridge including a tissue facing surface having staple retaining slots defined therein, each staple retaining slot housing a staple therein, and an annular knife disposed radially inwardly of the tissue facing surface; and a surgical buttress disposed on the tissue facing surface of the staple cartridge assembly, the surgical buttress having an annular configuration defining a central aperture therethrough, the surgical buttress including body segments extending radially outwardly about the central aperture in spaced radial relation relative to each other, and a ring segment interconnecting the body segments. 